I would donate a kidney to just shake Christophers hand. I know he would very much disapprove of such "worship", but that man has been a GREAT influence on me in my formative years.
TheIzay I have the same feeling, I learned of him about two years ago he played a key part in freeing me from the self imposed slavery of my past Calvinism when I learned after listening to him for weeks that he was dead I was crushed, I had been trying to find a way to contact him to just simply say "thank you" this man has left such a void, even though he said he didn't care for the word contrarian he was a special person and I like to think that a part of him now lives in those he has touched
I literally have for the last few weeks and feel better for it. Such integrity, honesty and passion for the betterment of humanity cannot go unnoticed! He wasn't afraid to be wrong, he welcomed it, as we all should. RIP Christopher Hitchens, and thank you very much.
***** A Dr. Who nerd is telling me that I have no life. That's rich. Interesting that you singled me out. Is it perhaps because I'm the only one with the balls to post under my real name with an actual picture of myself? Your authority to judge me about my life and where I draw my inspiration holds as much weight as the religious and their perceived authority to judge everyone else.
***** You may love it all you like but you would be false. I never once drew a comparison between Dr Who and religion. Rather, I compared your authority to judge me with that of religion's authority to judge me, by which I mean you have none. I only mentioned Dr Who because you're such an obvious fan that you have modeled your profile after the show's main antagonist. I found great irony in this as science fiction fans are often accused of having no life and here one is accusing me of the same thing. Because I expressed admiration for a real intellectual. Someone that actually existed.
@@lawsonj39 I thought that too; but watching lots of his videos lately, you can hear him dealing with his throat for at least a couple of years before his diagnosis. Irrelevant, of course - but we could use his intellect today.
The illness seemed to take a visible toll on him quickly. I remember not looking him up for a few months, only to be confronted with a bald, gaunt, image of Hitch when I eventually did. I was shocked and had no idea he was even sick.
"Name me an ethical statement made or an action performed by a believer that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer" possibly my favorite quote from Christopher. I am so sorry he's gone but I am tremendously greatful that he lived.
I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I read the Old Testament. If the morality of God exists, it is surely not compatible with that of ours today. 2 Samuel 12:10-14 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” Everything we know about morality and the responsibility that comes with it is burned at the stake in these verses. How can you possibly tell me with any semblance of intellectual honesty that this is the omnipotent being that created morality? David commits sin, David's wives are presumably raped in the streets, and his child is struck down and killed by God. Oh and by the way, David, the perpetrator, is allowed to skate this time. This is so obviously not directly from the creator of morality itself that it's frustrating. So either the God of the Bible is morally deprived, or he does not exist. You choose.
Nicholas this isn't even a debate anymore.. I don't take moral authority from any God.. And if humanity did which God do they take it from? Allah? Thor? Zeus? Ra?... The list goes on.. It's a pathetic argument... Humans are born with the instinct of solidarity, we wouldn't have survived as a species if we didn't .. All of this predates any religious texts
Nicholas oh please... Of course it's instinct, as most things are such as fight or flight, maternal and paternal instincts etc.. Just as a person can be a sadist, psychopath, sociopath etc.. We are animals.. So come on which God is the "real" God? I won't say there definitely isn't a God as I cannot prove it, I can say with 99% surety there isn't as there is no evidence whatsoever for one.. So what do you know that I don't?
It was great to hear Christopher Hitchsen, sorely missed. Why did we have to lose one of the most intelligent an brilliant person like him, (and kind hearted too), that ever existed ????
***** Christ would be dissapointed in the hate you have in your heart. Jesus never spoke words like yours. You represent Christ and in that respect you are a poor example. The best way to spread love and truth is by demonstrating it, not by lowering yourself by saying such vile things.
I hope that you are against the same things that Christopher Hitchens was against in the respect to the past of the Catholic Church. I hope that you are against the past decisions your church has made such as the millions that died during the Crusades, the Portuguese reconquista, the African slave trade, the wholesale slaughter and enslavement of Native Americans, the Spanish Inquisition, the sale of indulgences, the teaching to Africans that wearing condoms is sinful, which has increased the spread of AIDS, because people aren't going to stop having sex. I'm an RN and have never heard an MD tell someone to not wear condoms. Your own Pope is teaching that wearing condoms is a good thing, and I rather like the humble attitude he has. You should follow his example more. And by the way, the teaching that you need nuns and monks to pray on the behalf of everyone else is not scriptural. Or the teaching that you need a priest to profess your sins to for forgiveness is not scriptural. Jesus taught that you can pray to him directly and have a personal relationship with him. You don't need an intermediate, such as the church. Jesus said that he was the intermediate between man and the father. The policy of needing the church is about the church wanting power over the people by saying you need us in order to get to heaven. Jesus taught all you had to do for salvation was to profess to him directly, not through a priest, that he was the son of God and to ask for forgiveness of your sins. The Church is nothing more than fellowship, not a necessity needed for salvation. And Jesus himself was a Jew and kept the Sabbath day holy. That means Friday sundown to Saturday Sundown, not working or selling, but worshipping only. It's a tenth commandment and I don't see the Catholics keeping that commandment. Instead, they made up a holiday, Sunday, and ignore the Sabbath. Saturday is the day the bible teaches is the day God rested and it's a celebration of creation. It has nothing to do with Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus himself kept the Sabbath. So how do you defend breaking the Sabbath every week? Don't judge other people until you look at your own actions and beliefs. Thanks to Martin Luther for breaking away from the Church's evil teachings. The German states were starving, and what was the Catholic Church doing? Building huge cathedrals in Rome, allowing for the church to live in extravagance, with the sale of indulgences. Your Pope is a humble man that chose to live in a simple apartment instead of living in the palace. He kisses the feet of everyday people and teaches love and acceptance. You're a hateful woman that teaches bigotry and has a bad attitude. You're not going to bring anyone to Christ through your attitude. I wish I had your full name, I would report your butt to your church. Nuns aren't suppose to say such vile things. Bad PR on the behalf of the church.
***** Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk and knew a lot more about Scripture than you do. He was a monk within the Catholic Church and tried to tell them about their evil ways through his 95 theses.
When I was in college, One day on class Hitch sat next to me as he was visiting the professor. He wasn’t famous then but he did ask a question during the class. He referenced A few literary figures in a manner that blew my mind. So, I asked him what who he was and why he was there and how could be so intelligent and insightful. He was very kind and humble to me and after many decades I’ll never forget him. And of course I became a dedicated fan.
@ Ed; Never used the following word, but I will now, “I envy you Ed” I was lucky enough to see him in C-Span tv one day in mid 80’s from there onwards I read everything he’d written, Vanity Fair, then his books, debates and oratory. My family and I are indebted to this man, for he free us from the chains and slavery of religion. I wish I would have been able to tell him that when he was with us. Sorely missed never forgotten, Christopher Hitchens is a National Treasure to me.
@@AFMMarcelD I would echo your thoughts ! ☺️. It is a comfort to be able to hear and see him here , using his intellect to encourage Human Progress. 🇬🇧💕🦉😊🌿⭐🦉☺️🦉🇬🇧
I'm a member of Humanists UK, and every time the little quarterly booklet arrives there used to be a bookmark in it, with a relevant quote printed on it. Christopher was very often quoted. If you haven't already, G**gle Christopher Hitchens quotes. Mind blowing stuff👍.
I miss him so much. Every time a big news story breaks I wonder what Hitch would have said about it. He was and still is, one of the biggest influences in my recent years.
@@overduetax Same. Probably the only person who I didn't know but was sad about when he passed. His content on TH-cam had a huge influence on me - I wish he'd engaged on the internet more when he was around.
I wish shows were still made like this. C-SPAN used to be great. We used to have public figures of integrity being regularly interviewed like Christopher.
When he died I wept. We lost something. Cannot be replaced. In the intervening years I have only cried two other times. I cannot put into words what he did for my life.
What a tiny brain. The 1LofT states that energy can't be created or destroyed, it can't happen naturally. One aspect of the 2LofT shows that the universe is winding down, usable energy is becoming less usable. It is clear creation had to be done supernaturally at some point yet it is still denied because people are just too proud to accept that, among other things.
I doubt he'd look favourably on the idea that certain classic novels were not be considered as *suitable* for school children and that's to say little of how he'd react to a former President being indicted. With that in mind, I think the current *GOP* are somewhat fortunate, that he's no longer around.
Terrible pity he used his giant knowledge to profess that God dosent exist - so illogical- bet he knows now ! He spent his life trying to shock the world as the intrinsic evil he peddled was devised to cause chaos and confusion- yes a proper liar (devil) - May he rest in peace .
Watching this was a great pleasure. Listening to Hitchens is always enjoyable. This was a great, in-depth interview. Fascinating to see his DC apartment. I lived a few blocks away for a time. But watching this was also sad, thinking that this man is no longer with us.
@@jamesvalvis1131 Lol. Atoms are real. Molecules form naturally even on asteroids in space. You think magic fairies did it. I'd say you lose the reason comparison by a large margin.
I was curious on this too… apparently it was a comment prank that the guy would ask if he was on the air and then shout the f word, so they were just stopping him
Brilliant. Whether or not one believes in God is not relevant when learning about ethics and morality, given our ultimate goals in life will probably evolve around being our best, happiest (healthiest) and contribute to world peace in one form or another. Which depends on the quality of mankind, with or without God. Until, that is, we have all the evidence we hope to receive during our lifetime. Unity, harmony and ultimately peace will depend on the majority of humanity displaying the capacity to reflect and act on these topics and on wisely electing new Government leaders, for example.🙏
***** Get the torches and pitchforks everyone! We need to go burn some demons and witches! Next we'll burn all the books that teach this Satanic witchcraft. We'll also have to shut down the entire internet because their demonic influence will not cease to exist otherwise! BURN! BURN! BURN!
***** *OOOOOOOOHHH! YOU ARE SOOOOO SCARY! YOU CAN SPEAK - VERY POORLY - CONVERSATIONAL LATIN, WHICH I WAS TAUGHT AND SPEAK QUITE FLUENTLY.* *YOU ARE A LAUGHABLE OLD FOOL. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY THINK THAT ATHEISTS CAN IN ANY WAY FEEL THREATENED LIKE FEUDAL MEDIEVAL PEASANTS BY A FEW BADLY WORDED BLABBERINGS FROM AN OLD WITCH WHO BELIEVES IN IMAGINARY FRIENDS LIKE yahweh, jesus or the holy ghost from books that have no relation to anything in the modern world?* you will die soon. cancer of the cervix and collapse of the pancreas. i hope your pain is worse than the evil cult of death that old witch like you, "motha" theresa, inflicted upon the poor and destitute who, for a simple £0.75p treatment, could have been healed within a day or 2 but that old witch - like you - refused those poor souls even trained nurses and the most basic of food, clean water and some - ANY - kind of humane treatment to suffer whilst she drank the most expensive wines and sweetmeats, slept on duckfeather pillows and quilts in the lap of luxury when the cameras and old fools such as malcolm muggeridge weren't there to witness. her reasoning? "they will be dead soon... why waste time and effort on such lost causes? now quiet... i am enjoying my baby dolphin sweetmeat and the 1851 red wine sent to me by the pope... oh, how good it is to suffer" [secret recordings from her 'tabletalk']. a more evil, greedy witch - barring yourself - i hope we never have to suffer again. i implant upon and within you the most awful pain and suffering... after all... that IS what you wish, correct? looking forward to your death soon, old witch. oh. and good luck with the 'afterlife'. he he he he.
What a pleasure to watch a show like this. I wonder if people will ever be treated to such high level content on conventional TV anymore. Thanks for uploading anyway.
probably not, at least not anytime soon. The powers that be are aware that people with critical thinking and reasoning are not desirable for achieving their goals. They need a crowd they can control.
@@Mikri90 💯 x a billion in cahoots with your statement, the church and clergy have always hated free-thinkers, they love the sheeps🐑 that they can dominate.
@@adamplentl5588 sorry I’m just tired of seeing overdramatic homages to various ppl on the internet. Every video has “you saved my life” in the comments. Like, chill tf out.
It is my earnest hope that Chris Hitchens, and comparable personalities, will be remembered in the halls of history as the 21st century equivalent to ancient Greek thinkers and philosophers.
An incredible man. Sad to note that he was having trouble with his throat. I could listen to Christopher forever. I wish he was still around. He had lots more to give us.
Looks like his wife was right. Granted he didn't die due to his alcohol habits, he certainly died much too early. I never took the time to see him talk in person. I'll always regret that. If nothing else, he's still alive in his literature.
I’m sorry I’ve just come across this comment 7 years late! 😅 However, with all best intentions, and after you’re own assertion that you admire and venerate him, one can only assume you have read or listened to his views on religion. May I ask, assuming as you have stated you are still a believer, why his arguments have not convinced you otherwise? For the record I have never been a believer in any religion, and find his words a back up to my own thinking on religion, so I come with a bias I know, however, to me, I would think his logical and quite reasonable take down of all organised religion would be difficult to deny?
I was lucky enough to do just that. We spent a few hours talking. I should have just been listening. I did not know who he was, and he kept quizzing if I did. I treasure that memory and wish that I would have kept my mouth shut!
I'm just now getting around to watching this video, and I've seen pretty much all of his debates and some specials he's done. This is so brilliant and a lovely on depth look into the man who changed my life. I've always been atheist as far back as I can remember, and now, after listening to him, I can now put accurate words to how I feel about religion.
I really appreciate him being very open about his life and family without being intrusive but to try to understand one must be genuine and open minded in every way and gladly heared his little error of judgement because if one admit he's wrong,one should absolutely not be too harsh!!!a part that particular subject,he was and still is for me at least the greatest minds of our time, he's deerly missed!!!!
There's a lot to admire about the man, but one of the greatest pleasures personally is that of sharing practically identical opinions yet with just a small percentage of the man's intellect. Not that I ever needed approval or confirmation, but it's genuinely wonderful to hear such impeccably correct opinions expressed so eloquently! Thank erm... something... for Mr Hitchens!
It’s funny you say this! I grew up indoctrinated in a Christian church. I would spend many sleepless nights, even as a young girl, analyzing and thinking about what I’d been taught. It did not sit right with me. As an adult, who is a proud atheist, I’m angered that I spent those nights awake with god as my focal point. I really have wondered what avenues my mind would have ventured down if God weren’t shoved down my throat. I said all of that to say, I did need approval/confirmation. It is men like Christopher, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris that have almost corroborated many of my thoughts. It’s odd, but I’d spent so long believing in the wrong thing, that I do need that validation. I am hoping to move past that soon, though.
At 2:27:00 is just excellent stuff, the lady is going on about her personal religious moments and Hitch is just sitting there politely listening. Heard it all before.
I discovered Christopher, the other 3 horseman and people such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Lawrence Krauss about 3-4 years ago... Now, I sincerly have to thank these people for showing me, and more importantly teach me the abilty to think and question things.
I started watching and reading hitch in 2012 and had no idea he was dead for the first couple months.. when I finally went to his Wikipedia page the “news” of his death hit me like a ton of bricks.. missed knowing about him while he was alive by 6 months. Unbelievable.
No, it's not that. I listened to it on Google Play just now. It's been years, and I still haven't found out what song it is. I can't believe such a beautiful song is so obscure.
It doesn't sound like it. Here is the link, it's the eighth song. play.google.com/store/music/album/Michael_Joseph_Murphy_It_s_Christmas_Time?id=Brui2d6ugzvxvlosg2gck5ewy4y&hl=be
I think the piece was composed consciously in a classical style for Book TV. Certainly you don't want to be looking at anything other than classical music in your continued hunt to identify the piece. It might be an excerpt from a work for violin and piano written in the late classical period (1790s-1820s). It sounds a little bit like Schubert, so confine your search to classical music for violin and piano or viola and piano written at the turn of the 19th century. Also I'm fairly confident it is in D major, which should help in narrowing your search. I'm just not convinced it's a genuine classical piece. First, what we're hearing lasts about 2 minutes and ends abruptly in a manner no classical composer would employ. Although if this is an excerpt from a larger work, it could have been cut short by C-SPAN just as it hits the tonic (1:38:39). Even in that length of time, it's far too repetitive for a classical composer. There's virtually no contrast or key change and composers didn't repeat melodies incessantly without some variation in harmony, texture, or even altering the accompaniment a bit. Second, the opening flourish notwithstanding, the form strikes me as too rigid and simplistic for a classical composer, unless this is juvenilia. For example, if you consider "a" and "b" as designations for the distinct phrases in this little theme, with "¹" indicating a slight variant of the phrase, this is how it sounds to me: aa¹bb¹aa¹bb¹aa¹bb¹aa¹. Classical composers were not this monotonous, even though that schematic follows binary form (abab). They usually added a "c" phrase and would not repeat the "a" and "b" perpetually without significant variation or introducing a new section in a contrasting key. Sorry if I bang on about this, to steal a phrase from Hitch. In any event, the theme is catchy! If I heard just the opening of this theme on a "Name That Tune" radio program, I'd guess a young Schubert or Mendelssohn.
Thanks for the detailed answer, it was a pleasant read. I also tend to think it was composed for the TV show, there's just something about it that doesn't sound like a classic piece. It may very well be what you said, but, unlike you, I'm much less qualified to put my finger on it.
This amazingly articulate warm human being is a credit to all of us primates who understand his courageously controversial journalistic reasoning so profoundly expounding revealing perspectives of vision, contrary and spot on as an individual who thinks and speaks and is responsible for himself. For the king has no clothes now, which is fruitfully evolutionary due to those who stand up and question stories which have kept man/womankind in the darkness with superstitions for archaic survivability though feebly outdated and working against us now. Thanks to Chris for carrying the torch to pass on!
How naive one must be to think that when someone says "for all mankind" or any other phrase with that word in it they were only referring to half of the population.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the *interviewer?* Dude came _prepared_ ... He leads off with a question that sparks a reminiscence about the 'green fields' knowing full-well that he's going to hit Hitch later with a (beautifully crafted) listener question that alludes to that episode. Thus, providing necessary context for that question, even though it gets asked roughly 30 minutes later. If there's one thing we know about Hitch, it's that you shouldn't have entered into a debate with him without knowing your facts, cold. But this interviewer takes that one step further, by applying the lesson to mere _discussion_ ...
Every time I hear about Hitchens's mom or read about her, I still get a bit overwhelmed. That hopelessness is all-consuming, deprives you of who you are, and doesn't care who you love--it only wants you dead, and will stop at nothing until it achieves its goal. It's one of the worst and most disgusting things I ever had to experience.
I agree with your sentiment. When he speaks of his mother you feel his soul bawl. His mother committed suicide and that must of deeply hurt him, only finding out too late to help her. Anyone would want to help their mother when she is in trouble.
![Would We Be Better Off Without Religion? - Christopher Hitchens [2007] ✝️ | Intelligence Squared](/img/n.gif)
I’m watching this in Nov 2023. Who else is still watching the late, great Hitch in 2023? Sorely missed. Such a voice. May he always RIP.
Amen, and Kissinger lived to be 100...
l
I just watched this ..
Watching😊
@@JulyAries817watching😊
Watching in April 2024. Christopher Hitchens is very inspiring. He will be missed.
The most articulate person I have ever heard speak. He is greatly missed.
Listening to Christopher Hitchins makes time pass with such quality.
I fell a sleep and WOKE up watching a RATM video, SLEEP NOW IN THE FIRE.
That is the perfect way to put it. My time here is suddenly short and listening to Hitch is time well spent regardless of how full that account is.
tennis player?
Amazing to hear Hitch talk so openly about his private life. He is sorely missed.
It's a shame he died whilst his rather hateful brother survives.
The lessons my father never told me. Miss Hitch
@@andersestes 😢
@@misterx3188job ikoopjjo 👋 😊
@@andersestesMr. Hitch😊
The most brilliant public intellectual of this generation, sadly missed.
I cannot think of anybody else I could listen to for three straight hours...and left wanting more.
What an enjoyable watch. Christopher Hitchin's sardonic wit humours me every time. He's certainly one of a kind.
I would donate a kidney to just shake Christophers hand. I know he would very much disapprove of such "worship", but that man has been a GREAT influence on me in my formative years.
TheIzay I have the same feeling, I learned of him about two years ago
he played a key part in freeing me from the self imposed slavery of my past Calvinism
when I learned after listening to him for weeks that he was dead I was crushed, I had been trying to find a way to contact him to just simply say "thank you"
this man has left such a void, even though he said he didn't care for the word contrarian he was a special person and I like to think that a part of him now lives in those he has touched
Brian Nelson I had the same experience...been listening to him for hours a day but didnt know that he already died.
One the greatest beauties of technology is that even though he is dead he is alive in a sense.
Video is a form of immortality.
SallyIsG4yAndThatsOk same!!!! Talk about bummed out for days.
yeah' where is the video evidence of jesus? 'oh' right' science haden't been invented yet'' .. wake up world and listen to great men like this...
1:15:30 “~Tucker don’t do that~” I nearly died laughing given his recent firing from fox 😂 what a gem hitchens was. Such clarity and brilliance
I burst out laughing hearing that
Hitchens predicts the future again!
@@joecurran2811 brave soul u are.
i can listen to this man for hours....deeply missed
I'm back, could never get enough of the best teacher I've ever had.
This world is less without him 😭
I could listen to Hitch all day every day.
I literally have for the last few weeks and feel better for it. Such integrity, honesty and passion for the betterment of humanity cannot go unnoticed! He wasn't afraid to be wrong, he welcomed it, as we all should. RIP Christopher Hitchens, and thank you very much.
He is the man, and I could too listen to him all day long. He is just excellent.
I listen to him almost everyday.
***** A Dr. Who nerd is telling me that I have no life. That's rich. Interesting that you singled me out. Is it perhaps because I'm the only one with the balls to post under my real name with an actual picture of myself? Your authority to judge me about my life and where I draw my inspiration holds as much weight as the religious and their perceived authority to judge everyone else.
***** You may love it all you like but you would be false. I never once drew a comparison between Dr Who and religion. Rather, I compared your authority to judge me with that of religion's authority to judge me, by which I mean you have none. I only mentioned Dr Who because you're such an obvious fan that you have modeled your profile after the show's main antagonist. I found great irony in this as science fiction fans are often accused of having no life and here one is accusing me of the same thing. Because I expressed admiration for a real intellectual. Someone that actually existed.
Hard to believe he was only four years longer for this world. These video archives are a gift.
He does seem to be having some issues with his throat. Could have been a cold, of course, but he doesn't seem to have other cold symptoms.
@@lawsonj39 I thought that too; but watching lots of his videos lately, you can hear him dealing with his throat for at least a couple of years before his diagnosis. Irrelevant, of course - but we could use his intellect today.
The illness seemed to take a visible toll on him quickly. I remember not looking him up for a few months, only to be confronted with a bald, gaunt, image of Hitch when I eventually did. I was shocked and had no idea he was even sick.
@@MyEnemy Very possibly his appearance was due to chemotherapy as much as cancer.
"Name me an ethical statement made or an action performed by a believer that could not have been made or performed by a non-believer" possibly my favorite quote from Christopher. I am so sorry he's gone but I am tremendously greatful that he lived.
I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I read the Old Testament. If the morality of God exists, it is surely not compatible with that of ours today.
2 Samuel 12:10-14
10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me
and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
Everything we know about morality and the responsibility that comes with it is burned at the stake in these verses. How can you possibly tell me with any semblance of intellectual honesty that this is the omnipotent being that created morality? David commits sin, David's wives are presumably raped in the streets, and his child is struck down and killed by God. Oh and by the way, David, the perpetrator, is allowed to skate this time. This is so obviously not directly from the creator of morality itself that it's frustrating. So either the God of the Bible is morally deprived, or he does not exist. You choose.
+Nicholas Well your name is Nicholas I made an assumption. Can I ask what your religion is?
Nicholas religion takes its morality from Humans, not the other way round
Nicholas this isn't even a debate anymore.. I don't take moral authority from any God.. And if humanity did which God do they take it from? Allah? Thor? Zeus? Ra?... The list goes on.. It's a pathetic argument... Humans are born with the instinct of solidarity, we wouldn't have survived as a species if we didn't .. All of this predates any religious texts
Nicholas oh please... Of course it's instinct, as most things are such as fight or flight, maternal and paternal instincts etc.. Just as a person can be a sadist, psychopath, sociopath etc.. We are animals.. So come on which God is the "real" God? I won't say there definitely isn't a God as I cannot prove it, I can say with 99% surety there isn't as there is no evidence whatsoever for one.. So what do you know that I don't?
It was great to hear Christopher Hitchsen, sorely missed. Why did we have to lose one of the most intelligent an brilliant person like him, (and kind hearted too), that ever existed ????
He was all of that.
I miss him terribly
***** why don't you fuck off you stupid troll, I'm sick of people like you on youtube you fucking idiot
***** Christ would be dissapointed in the hate you have in your heart. Jesus never spoke words like yours. You represent Christ and in that respect you are a poor example. The best way to spread love and truth is by demonstrating it, not by lowering yourself by saying such vile things.
***** Are you, like.... a legit bat shit crazy old nun? Because that would be hilarious.
I hope that you are against the same things that Christopher Hitchens was against in the respect to the past of the Catholic Church. I hope that you are against the past decisions your church has made such as the millions that died during the Crusades, the Portuguese reconquista, the African slave trade, the wholesale slaughter and enslavement of Native Americans, the Spanish Inquisition, the sale of indulgences, the teaching to Africans that wearing condoms is sinful, which has increased the spread of AIDS, because people aren't going to stop having sex. I'm an RN and have never heard an MD tell someone to not wear condoms. Your own Pope is teaching that wearing condoms is a good thing, and I rather like the humble attitude he has. You should follow his example more. And by the way, the teaching that you need nuns and monks to pray on the behalf of everyone else is not scriptural. Or the teaching that you need a priest to profess your sins to for forgiveness is not scriptural. Jesus taught that you can pray to him directly and have a personal relationship with him. You don't need an intermediate, such as the church. Jesus said that he was the intermediate between man and the father. The policy of needing the church is about the church wanting power over the people by saying you need us in order to get to heaven. Jesus taught all you had to do for salvation was to profess to him directly, not through a priest, that he was the son of God and to ask for forgiveness of your sins. The Church is nothing more than fellowship, not a necessity needed for salvation. And Jesus himself was a Jew and kept the Sabbath day holy. That means Friday sundown to Saturday Sundown, not working or selling, but worshipping only. It's a tenth commandment and I don't see the Catholics keeping that commandment. Instead, they made up a holiday, Sunday, and ignore the Sabbath. Saturday is the day the bible teaches is the day God rested and it's a celebration of creation. It has nothing to do with Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus himself kept the Sabbath. So how do you defend breaking the Sabbath every week? Don't judge other people until you look at your own actions and beliefs. Thanks to Martin Luther for breaking away from the Church's evil teachings. The German states were starving, and what was the Catholic Church doing? Building huge cathedrals in Rome, allowing for the church to live in extravagance, with the sale of indulgences. Your Pope is a humble man that chose to live in a simple apartment instead of living in the palace. He kisses the feet of everyday people and teaches love and acceptance. You're a hateful woman that teaches bigotry and has a bad attitude. You're not going to bring anyone to Christ through your attitude. I wish I had your full name, I would report your butt to your church. Nuns aren't suppose to say such vile things. Bad PR on the behalf of the church.
***** Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk and knew a lot more about Scripture than you do. He was a monk within the Catholic Church and tried to tell them about their evil ways through his 95 theses.
When I was in college, One day on class Hitch sat next to me as he was visiting the professor. He wasn’t famous then but he did ask a question during the class. He referenced A few literary figures in a manner that blew my mind. So, I asked him what who he was and why he was there and how could be so intelligent and insightful. He was very kind and humble to me and after many decades I’ll never forget him. And of course I became a dedicated fan.
@ Ed; Never used the following word, but I will now, “I envy you Ed” I was lucky enough to see him in C-Span tv one day in mid 80’s from there onwards I read everything he’d written, Vanity Fair, then his books, debates and oratory.
My family and I are indebted to this man, for he free us from the chains and slavery of religion. I wish I would have been able to tell him that when he was with us.
Sorely missed never forgotten, Christopher Hitchens is a National Treasure to me.
@@AFMMarcelD
I would echo your thoughts ! ☺️.
It is a comfort to be able
to hear and see him here ,
using his intellect to encourage
Human Progress.
🇬🇧💕🦉😊🌿⭐🦉☺️🦉🇬🇧
I'm a member of Humanists UK, and every time the little quarterly booklet arrives there used to be a bookmark in it, with a relevant quote printed on it. Christopher was very often quoted. If you haven't already, G**gle Christopher Hitchens quotes. Mind blowing stuff👍.
We need this man SO badly in 2022
Dam right!
All religions need a leader
@@OlafChang9359 and all leaders need a religion.
If he opened your eyes, he did his job.
@@carmelasowens7303 My eyes were we opened long before I head of the Hitch it's just that his eloquence and humanity gave voice to my reasoning.
this man is the only voice of reason i could ever listen too
Expand.
I only discovered him in the last year thanks to TH-cam and he was a great speaker and entertaining as well
If you haven't already done so, please also read his autobiography Hitch-22, and his collections of articles 'Arguably' and 'Love, Poverty and War'.
I often wonder WWHS: What Would Hitchens Say today...
I winced every time he coughed during this recording.
I winced too, wish he was here today
Wish this amazing man was still with us in today's day and age
What a joy to listen to this is.
the most cultivated, gifted, fearless wit of a generation who is sorely missed and irreplaceable
I admire Hitch’s ability to stay calm, measured, and on-point. He’s unflappable…makes him a force to be reckoned with. I miss you Hitch! ❤
I miss him so much. Every time a big news story breaks I wonder what Hitch would have said about it. He was and still is, one of the biggest influences in my recent years.
Apply his influence on you and he will live on.
I read him every night and listen to him on pods every morning. He permeates my life in every way.
Your comment is now 7 years old. It is still as relevant as when you wrote it.
@@JohnSmith-oe5kx He is still as much an inspiration to me as ever. xx
@@liberte1334 Fair enough!
One of the very best of us. Nothing more to be said.
This is a veritable treasure trove. Let the Hitch talk. He is magnificent on his own. Three hours of him? Indispensable.
i miss him. had a great influence on me and i'll carry it with me forever.
@@overduetax Same. Probably the only person who I didn't know but was sad about when he passed. His content on TH-cam had a huge influence on me - I wish he'd engaged on the internet more when he was around.
"Hey good afternoon, am I on the air?" -
"Not anymore we're gonna move on".
I rofled so hard hahaha. Thanks for the insight buddy!!
+nejtilsvampe I think it might be the same caller at 59:34
+nejtilsvampe Yeah! That was funny. But why did they do that to the poor guy?
+Beardman29 Cause he's from Vegas!!
+Beardman29 the host has a spider sense when it comes to prank callers. He dealt with them many times. Probably recognized the voice.
When one wants to know whether they are on air it means they are up to no good. That was a brilliant reaction.
A three hour talk with Hitch, what a privilege.
We really lost something when we lost Christopher Hitchens. But we are fortunate that his writings, his voice continue on.
Sadly his toxic brother continues to grace our TV screens here in the UK, to an extent undermining Christopher's legacy.
@@rockitbitzI'm in the US 🇺🇸 but I agree with your characterization of his brother. He's insufferable, really. (IMO)
I wish shows were still made like this. C-SPAN used to be great. We used to have public figures of integrity being regularly interviewed like Christopher.
I miss Christopher Hitchens big time.
I hang on his every word. He’s so eloquent and has such a grasp of the language and it’s like watching art via vocabulary.
A void that will never be filled
Such a interesting and honest man. I love his style. RIP 🙏
Eloquence just spills out of him.
@@flipshodHis command of English is unreal.
He was a man of his time, and yet so far ahead of it.
When he died I wept. We lost something. Cannot be replaced. In the intervening years I have only cried two other times. I cannot put into words what he did for my life.
Man. I mis this dude
Do you cry
@@scottandcoke1342sometimes.
its nice that he left behind his views in books, and recorded interviews. he may be gone but his thinking will live on forever.
What a gem. RIP🙏🏼
What a tiny brain.
The 1LofT states that energy can't be created or destroyed, it can't happen naturally. One aspect of the 2LofT shows that the universe is winding down, usable energy is becoming less usable. It is clear creation had to be done supernaturally at some point yet it is still denied because people are just too proud to accept that, among other things.
@@2fast2block *You are very, very stupid. You're engaging in a very low-IQ argument from ignorance, you babbling fool.*
In addition to Hitchens customary eloquence and conversational brilliance, I was struck by how extraordinarily well moderated this was. 10/10
When I die . . . I want to be greeted by my mother and Christopher Hitchens
If you believe in what he says, you will merely be dirt and that’s the end.
@@bong2941 Keep smoking that weed. He was and is a genius and guess what . . . ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You will be dirt too and that's the end
Miss him more and more. What on earth would he have made of things now?
That would be very interesting if only he was with us now
I doubt he'd look favourably on the idea that certain classic novels were not be considered as *suitable* for school children and that's to say little of how he'd react to a former President being indicted. With that in mind, I think the current *GOP* are somewhat fortunate, that he's no longer around.
Mind-forge manacle. Love it
It's from a poem. But because I'm not Christopher Hitchens, I can't recall the title. 😂 I'm sure you could Google it.
I can't put into words how much I miss this man...
@Sgt Shard I miss him like a hole in the head.
Brilliant
C Hitchens….. Your truly missed Sir !!!!
He is for a lack of a better term an absolute legend
50 years too early for this comment :)
A legend in his own mind. He was an intellectual cul de sac.
Terrible pity he used his giant knowledge to profess that God dosent exist - so illogical- bet he knows now ! He spent his life trying to shock the world as the intrinsic evil he peddled was devised to cause chaos and confusion- yes a proper liar (devil) - May he rest in peace .
@The Guns N' Glory Show who is Ann ?
@The Guns N' Glory Show No proof of Hell or Heaven.
I can't believe Kissinger is STILL alive!
This has been truly outstanding
Watching this was a great pleasure. Listening to Hitchens is always enjoyable. This was a great, in-depth interview. Fascinating to see his DC apartment. I lived a few blocks away for a time. But watching this was also sad, thinking that this man is no longer with us.
Christopher Hitchens is one of my heroes. Rest in peace. Still listen to you often ❤️
Same. I love Hitch. The world would profit greatly if he was still around to offer his insights on current events like covid, January 6, and Ukraine.
Agreed. I go back often. It's amazing how video quality has improved in the last decade.
How can dispersed matter rest in anything, peace or otherwise. You're talking to a nothing. Like a crazy person. Atheists are insane.
@@cheri238 There is no morality without God. So, thanks for trying, but back to philosophical kindergarten for you.
@@jamesvalvis1131 Lol. Atoms are real. Molecules form naturally even on asteroids in space. You think magic fairies did it. I'd say you lose the reason comparison by a large margin.
29:41 LOL Brutal. He was allowed to ask one question. For some reason he chose to ask "am I on the air?"
I was curious on this too… apparently it was a comment prank that the guy would ask if he was on the air and then shout the f word, so they were just stopping him
Very well spent 3 hours, indeed.
Only wish it was longer
As a devout Catholic, I deeply miss Hitchens and watch these videos from time to time.
Wonder what you have learned from him since he was anti religious ?
@@vsubhuti I get more honest exegesis in the debates than most of the "religious" sermons on TH-cam.
Brilliant.
Whether or not one believes in God is not relevant when learning about ethics and morality, given our ultimate goals in life will probably evolve around being our best, happiest (healthiest) and contribute to world peace in one form or another. Which depends on the quality of mankind, with or without God. Until, that is, we have all the evidence we hope to receive during our lifetime.
Unity, harmony and ultimately peace will depend on the majority of humanity displaying the capacity to reflect and act on these topics and on wisely electing new Government leaders, for example.🙏
3hrs seemed to pass by in a blink of an eye !
***** Get the torches and pitchforks everyone! We need to go burn some demons and witches! Next we'll burn all the books that teach this Satanic witchcraft. We'll also have to shut down the entire internet because their demonic influence will not cease to exist otherwise! BURN! BURN! BURN!
***** *OOOOOOOOHHH! YOU ARE SOOOOO SCARY! YOU CAN SPEAK - VERY POORLY - CONVERSATIONAL LATIN, WHICH I WAS TAUGHT AND SPEAK QUITE FLUENTLY.*
*YOU ARE A LAUGHABLE OLD FOOL. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY THINK THAT ATHEISTS CAN IN ANY WAY FEEL THREATENED LIKE FEUDAL MEDIEVAL PEASANTS BY A FEW BADLY WORDED BLABBERINGS FROM AN OLD WITCH WHO BELIEVES IN IMAGINARY FRIENDS LIKE yahweh, jesus or the holy ghost from books that have no relation to anything in the modern world?*
you will die soon. cancer of the cervix and collapse of the pancreas. i hope your pain is worse than the evil cult of death that old witch like you, "motha" theresa, inflicted upon the poor and destitute who, for a simple £0.75p treatment, could have been healed within a day or 2 but that old witch - like you - refused those poor souls even trained nurses and the most basic of food, clean water and some - ANY - kind of humane treatment to suffer whilst she drank the most expensive wines and sweetmeats, slept on duckfeather pillows and quilts in the lap of luxury when the cameras and old fools such as malcolm muggeridge weren't there to witness.
her reasoning? "they will be dead soon... why waste time and effort on such lost causes? now quiet... i am enjoying my baby dolphin sweetmeat and the 1851 red wine sent to me by the pope... oh, how good it is to suffer" [secret recordings from her 'tabletalk'].
a more evil, greedy witch - barring yourself - i hope we never have to suffer again.
i implant upon and within you the most awful pain and suffering... after all... that IS what you wish, correct?
looking forward to your death soon, old witch.
oh. and good luck with the 'afterlife'.
he he he he.
***** You do make me laugh, are you really a nun? like that Theresa woman? I think your are one unhinged old bat
***** You are mistaken,you have been sectioned not sanctioned
I love him ❤
The BEST speaker of the english language.
What a pleasure to watch a show like this. I wonder if people will ever be treated to such high level content on conventional TV anymore. Thanks for uploading anyway.
probably not, at least not anytime soon. The powers that be are aware that people with critical thinking and reasoning are not desirable for achieving their goals. They need a crowd they can control.
Woah. Calm down there.
They won't.
@@Mikri90 💯 x a billion in cahoots with your statement, the church and clergy have always hated free-thinkers, they love the sheeps🐑 that they can dominate.
This guy literally changed, and probably saved, my life. I consider it a great injustice that I will never be able to thank him for it.
Adam Plentl Well said.
Weak
@@uscbro69 how so?
@@adamplentl5588 sorry I’m just tired of seeing overdramatic homages to various ppl on the internet. Every video has “you saved my life” in the comments. Like, chill tf out.
@@adamplentl5588 he’s good but not that good. You would’ve survived if you didn’t know about Christopher hitchens haha
probably the best host of a show i've seen. very good conversation.
I learned so much about clearly expressing my thoughts from listening to hitchens videos
I love Hitchens.... wish he was still here.
It is my earnest hope that Chris Hitchens, and comparable personalities, will be remembered in the halls of history as the 21st century equivalent to ancient Greek thinkers and philosophers.
An incredible man. Sad to note that he was having trouble with his throat. I could listen to Christopher forever. I wish he was still around. He had lots more to give us.
"what are you doing praying in front of a disco dancing princess” 🤣🤣😍
😂😂
"It would be a drag for Henry Kissinger to live to a hundred, and for Christopher to keel over next year". He just turned 100 this year lol.
Yes but he did also finally die.
33:05 look how happy he looks when listening to his words being read. I miss Hitchens. it cheers me to see him smiling
I miss Christopher Hitchens!!!!!!!
am I on the air? "Not anymore, hangs up"
LOL that interviewer is a savage
Why did the host do that?
Because only somebody who'd be up to no good would ask whether they are on air. If somebody wanted to ask a real question they wouldn't care.
That guy was a known and regular troll.
Looks like his wife was right. Granted he didn't die due to his alcohol habits, he certainly died much too early. I never took the time to see him talk in person. I'll always regret that. If nothing else, he's still alive in his literature.
I wish I had found Hitch before he died. He changed my life for the better
Fantastic interview for getting to know Christopher Hitchens.
I'm a spiritual person a believer, and I truly miss hitch , what a truly wonderful person he was !!!? A life to celebrate
I’m sorry I’ve just come across this comment 7 years late! 😅 However, with all best intentions, and after you’re own assertion that you admire and venerate him, one can only assume you have read or listened to his views on religion. May I ask, assuming as you have stated you are still a believer, why his arguments have not convinced you otherwise? For the record I have never been a believer in any religion, and find his words a back up to my own thinking on religion, so I come with a bias I know, however, to me, I would think his logical and quite reasonable take down of all organised religion would be difficult to deny?
Hitchens was incredible, a passionate orator & ruthless iconoclast. His thoughts caused my latent unbelief to focus into certainty.
Can you just imagine just sitting down with him and having a drink, a smoke and a long discussion on politics and religion?..that is my paradise :)
I was lucky enough to do just that. We spent a few hours talking. I should have just been listening. I did not know who he was, and he kept quizzing if I did. I treasure that memory and wish that I would have kept my mouth shut!
Oh I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this.
I'm just now getting around to watching this video, and I've seen pretty much all of his debates and some specials he's done. This is so brilliant and a lovely on depth look into the man who changed my life. I've always been atheist as far back as I can remember, and now, after listening to him, I can now put accurate words to how I feel about religion.
I really appreciate him being very open about his life and family without being intrusive but to try to understand one must be genuine and open minded in every way and gladly heared his little error of judgement because if one admit he's wrong,one should absolutely not be too harsh!!!a part that particular subject,he was and still is for me at least the greatest minds of our time, he's deerly missed!!!!
There's a lot to admire about the man, but one of the greatest pleasures personally is that of sharing practically identical opinions yet with just a small percentage of the man's intellect. Not that I ever needed approval or confirmation, but it's genuinely wonderful to hear such impeccably correct opinions expressed so eloquently! Thank erm... something... for Mr Hitchens!
It’s funny you say this! I grew up indoctrinated in a Christian church. I would spend many sleepless nights, even as a young girl, analyzing and thinking about what I’d been taught. It did not sit right with me. As an adult, who is a proud atheist, I’m angered that I spent those nights awake with god as my focal point. I really have wondered what avenues my mind would have ventured down if God weren’t shoved down my throat. I said all of that to say, I did need approval/confirmation. It is men like Christopher, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris that have almost corroborated many of my thoughts. It’s odd, but I’d spent so long believing in the wrong thing, that I do need that validation. I am hoping to move past that soon, though.
"Am I on the air?"
"...Not anymore, we'll be moving on."
That has to be a good time.
A great and brave man.
One of our Greatest! in the ages! :D
yes he was a good man, thanks for youtube or i would never have known him, RIP
C-Span has such great interviewers.
lord he was so brilliant
At 2:27:00 is just excellent stuff, the lady is going on about her personal religious moments and Hitch is just sitting there politely listening. Heard it all before.
Excellent post!
I discovered Christopher, the other 3 horseman and people such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Lawrence Krauss about 3-4 years ago... Now, I sincerly have to thank these people for showing me, and more importantly teach me the abilty to think and question things.
I started watching and reading hitch in 2012 and had no idea he was dead for the first couple months.. when I finally went to his Wikipedia page the “news” of his death hit me like a ton of bricks.. missed knowing about him while he was alive by 6 months. Unbelievable.
thank you for this, hitch archive. i hope more people discover the history of Mr. Hitchens as I have
the music that plays after 1hr 37mins....been looking for it forever
Me too ! Still don't know what it is, but I love it !
No, it's not that. I listened to it on Google Play just now. It's been years, and I still haven't found out what song it is. I can't believe such a beautiful song is so obscure.
It doesn't sound like it. Here is the link, it's the eighth song.
play.google.com/store/music/album/Michael_Joseph_Murphy_It_s_Christmas_Time?id=Brui2d6ugzvxvlosg2gck5ewy4y&hl=be
I think the piece was composed consciously in a classical style for Book TV. Certainly you don't want to be looking at anything other than classical music in your continued hunt to identify the piece. It might be an excerpt from a work for violin and piano written in the late classical period (1790s-1820s). It sounds a little bit like Schubert, so confine your search to classical music for violin and piano or viola and piano written at the turn of the 19th century. Also I'm fairly confident it is in D major, which should help in narrowing your search.
I'm just not convinced it's a genuine classical piece. First, what we're hearing lasts about 2 minutes and ends abruptly in a manner no classical composer would employ. Although if this is an excerpt from a larger work, it could have been cut short by C-SPAN just as it hits the tonic (1:38:39). Even in that length of time, it's far too repetitive for a classical composer. There's virtually no contrast or key change and composers didn't repeat melodies incessantly without some variation in harmony, texture, or even altering the accompaniment a bit. Second, the opening flourish notwithstanding, the form strikes me as too rigid and simplistic for a classical composer, unless this is juvenilia.
For example, if you consider "a" and "b" as designations for the distinct phrases in this little theme, with "¹" indicating a slight variant of the phrase, this is how it sounds to me: aa¹bb¹aa¹bb¹aa¹bb¹aa¹. Classical composers were not this monotonous, even though that schematic follows binary form (abab). They usually added a "c" phrase and would not repeat the "a" and "b" perpetually without significant variation or introducing a new section in a contrasting key.
Sorry if I bang on about this, to steal a phrase from Hitch.
In any event, the theme is catchy! If I heard just the opening of this theme on a "Name That Tune" radio program, I'd guess a young Schubert or Mendelssohn.
Thanks for the detailed answer, it was a pleasant read. I also tend to think it was composed for the TV show, there's just something about it that doesn't sound like a classic piece. It may very well be what you said, but, unlike you, I'm much less qualified to put my finger on it.
Great interviewer
Hitchens was a man that I could disagree with, but had to respect for his articulate oratory and brilliant mind
Three hours well invested. Inspiring man!
This amazingly articulate warm human being is a credit to all of us primates who understand his courageously controversial journalistic reasoning so profoundly expounding revealing perspectives of vision, contrary and spot on as an individual who thinks and speaks and is responsible for himself.
For the king has no clothes now, which is fruitfully evolutionary due to those who stand up and question stories which have kept man/womankind in the darkness with superstitions for archaic survivability though feebly outdated and working against us now. Thanks to Chris for carrying the torch to pass on!
How naive one must be to think that when someone says "for all mankind" or any other phrase with that word in it they were only referring to half of the population.
Can we just take a moment to appreciate the *interviewer?* Dude came _prepared_ ... He leads off with a question that sparks a reminiscence about the 'green fields' knowing full-well that he's going to hit Hitch later with a (beautifully crafted) listener question that alludes to that episode. Thus, providing necessary context for that question, even though it gets asked roughly 30 minutes later.
If there's one thing we know about Hitch, it's that you shouldn't have entered into a debate with him without knowing your facts, cold. But this interviewer takes that one step further, by applying the lesson to mere _discussion_ ...
Every time I hear about Hitchens's mom or read about her, I still get a bit overwhelmed. That hopelessness is all-consuming, deprives you of who you are, and doesn't care who you love--it only wants you dead, and will stop at nothing until it achieves its goal. It's one of the worst and most disgusting things I ever had to experience.
I agree with your sentiment. When he speaks of his mother you feel his soul bawl. His mother committed suicide and that must of deeply hurt him, only finding out too late to help her. Anyone would want to help their mother when she is in trouble.
Still great to be able hear him GONE BUT NOT FORGOTEN
Well on his way to being forgotten.
@@jamesvalvis1131 so edgy
@@Darqion not in the least. Just a fact.
Happiness vs satisfaction, brilliant!